Bartle Clunes - Chapter 19
El Dorado County 1950 - The Library and Old Friends
All previous chapters are listed in order in the Bartle Clunes archive. Click here. If you are new, please start here: Introduction to Bartle Clunes .
El Dorado County, California 1950
Ayla and Louvina drove down to the Placerville library Wednesday morning on their way to pick up their goats. Bartle went off in the other direction - he’d gone over to the studio to take stock and start planning for the July gallery event. He was already feeling the pressure of this one-man show, and did not mind admitting it.
An oblique band of winter sun shone thinly through the narrow front window, at the old library, sparkling with floating motes of dust. The rooms smelled, not surprisingly, like old flaking paper, mucilage and beeswax polish. It was a very quiet, no-nonsense kind of library, staffed by two elderly women who might have been sisters.
Ayla and Louvina found the two books they needed: Emerson's 'Guide to Raising Dairy Goats', and Mary Blowster's 'Making Soap At Home for Fun and Profit'. And, just for good measure, Louvina took Lucille Depp's 'The Home Economist's Book of Cheese Making'.Then she wandered over to browse the history section and find something interesting.
Ayla went to speak to the reference librarian. “May I help you?” the woman asked, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose and patting her faded hair that, frankly, looked like small puffs of blue cotton-candy.
“Yes, thank you. Um...I want to find the names of publishers who specialize in books on natural history, plant identification, animals, minerals - anything like that.”
“Tell me your purpose, and I can find exactly what it is you need.”
“I am a ... a ... well, I am a science illustrator,” Ayla said, trying on the label, “and I want to submit my nature drawings and paintings for publication. I thought maybe you could point me in the best direction.”
“I'm sure I can. Please sit down. I will be right back.”
The librarian returned with a large reference book and pointed out the addresses for both the University Press in Berkeley and John Black and Sons. “These might be two good places to start, and you might want to jot down these other six as well,” she said, pointing further down the column. “But remember,” she advised, “you must submit your work to only one publishing house at a time, and enclose a large stamped envelope so they will return the material to you. If you like, I can loan you a book that has sample query letters, and will help you follow correct protocol.”
Ayla was not sure what 'query' and 'protocol' meant, but she jotted down the addresses and thanked the woman politely for her help and advice.
On the way down the walk as they were leaving, they ran into the two Rider sisters – the twins, Rose and Ruth, who lived alone on the south side of Riles Crossing. Folks referred to them as the “spinsters”, though they couldn’t be more than twenty-five. They were rather unfortunate when it came to physical beauty, but they were both sweet as can be and very kind.
“Hello, girls,” said Louvina. “Haven’t seen you two in a dog’s age. How are you doing?”
“Why, we are both quite well, thank you, Louvina,” said Rose. “We just came down here to the library on the bus.”
“We come twice a month,” said Ruth. “And we always visit an old school chum over on River Street while we are here. Make a day of it.”
Louvina introduced Ayla to these old friends, and said, “Well, you two have fun in there — behave yourselves now! And pick out something other than those romance novels, you hear! Bring home something educational for a change,” she teased. “I am sure you have read every Zane Gray, every Myrtle Reed and every Jean Stratton Porter this library owns by now!”
Both girls giggled a protest. Louvina knew they studied everything from botany to baking, from geography to history. They were odd girls, maybe, but they were not lacking when it came to education.
At Hansen’s Farm over in Clarksville, the two Clunes women met and talked to several milk goats and chose two that seemed friendly and gentle, and Mrs. Hansen ran the goats up on stands for the women to practice on. One was an amiable white Saanan three-year-old, the other was a brown and tan Nubian, nearly five, with the sweetest face. Both Ayla and Louvina had no trouble adjusting their milking techniques to the docile creatures and agreed to a price of $16 for both. It was a big investment for them, but they were absolutely ready to launch this new enterprise together.
Driving home in the truck, the goats secured safely in the back, Louvina slowed down and said, “Oh look! There is Eizer Griggs. He is another old friend.”
“I have met him before,” said Ayla, “over at the General Store… kind of an unusual old guy.”
Louvina tootled the horn and came to a stop. Eizer stepped back off the road and took off his cap. “How are you, Eizer?” she said, “I don't think I ever saw you walking so far over here on this side of the Crossing. Can I offer you a lift today?”
“Nah, thank you, Louvina,” he growled. “I am doing fine, enjoying the walk. You got goats, I see. Fine animals. Useful.”
“Yes, we do! A new adventure for us. Glad to see you looking so well on this beautiful day. You take care of yourself,” she said, and she drove on.
A mile or so later, Ayla said, “Louvina, I would like to name our goats Melpomene and Thalia, if that is okay with you.”
Louvina chuckled at the reference, and said, “Perfect! Then we will have to name our enterprise “The Daughters of Zeus Dairy.”
“Oh yes! Good idea!” Ayla said. After a couple of minutes, she added, “But.... then … I don’t know … if it is The Daughters of Zeus, does that mean we will need seven more goats?”
No Google or YouTube back then. 🤣
I,too, am really enjoying the installments.